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So your dream wedding involves a marquee but you’re worried about whether you can have a live wedding band perform in it? Well, the simple answer is yes you can. However, there are a few important checks you need to make before you know for sure you can invite your live wedding band into your lovely marquee wedding. In this guide, I will tell you everything you need to know.
You have the perfect marquee wedding party in your sights so you probably want to look through all requirements a live wedding band has so they can perform for you and all your guests. Live bands that can perform acoustically like Paper Boats (above) may not need power to perform but apart from that, the following information will apply to them also. Today’s guide is also relevant for any event you may be holding in a marquee, not just weddings.
We have a plethora of award-winning live party, wedding, and function bands with oodles of experience performing in marquees big and small, UK and worldwide. If you still need to hire some amazing live entertainment, why not have a look below?
I’m sure your marquee will have a power source, usually a generator but make sure it’s a generator that can cope with not only the usual marquee power requirements but with a bands PA sound system, amps, monitors, and lighting too. Live wedding bands roughly use around 4-6kw of power and because their equipment draws a decent and constant amount of power the more plugs you can offer the band the better. I would suggest providing at least 2 but ideally over 4 plugs for your band. A memorable live wedding music band performance is based on safety first so more plugs means a safer wedding.
It may be a bit risky in rainy weather but over the years our wedding bands have performed at marquee weddings where they were powered by extension cables plugged into houses over 20 meters away. While this isn’t ideal, it is acceptable, especially if you can run a few of these extension cables. A whole wedding band running off one or two plugs from one extension cable is potentially asking for trouble though and don’t always expect live wedding bands to have the extra-long extension cables needed for this job either.
Yer generators are kind of boring but when you read my real-life story below I’m sure it will make you realise a good chat with the generator company and your wedding band is essential. I mentioned that at least 4 plug sockets are needed by any wedding band and I always recommend that these are standard 13-amp feeds. Your generator provider will no doubt ask you about this so now you know!
As mentioned, here’s my real-life generator nightmare story for you…
Down in South London, our popular band The Usual Suspects (above) had set up in a back garden marquee for a lovely bride and groom, James and Sally. They’d spoken to the generator manager who seemed happy with everything. They were only running two plug sockets for all gear but that’s quite common even though it’s not ideal. The guys blasted into the first dance, Johnny Be Goode by Chuck Berry and before they even got to the first chorus there was a pop, a bang, and all power vanishes…
Once the lights in the house were switched on and the phone torches off, Ritchie the frontman won’t ever forget seeing the generator manager staring teary-eyed at a smoking mixing desk and a down-and-out generator. The gig was over before it had even begun! The generator had overloaded and was dead in the water. The generator manager’s gear was ruined but luckily all the bands equipments’ overload switches had kicked in so it was undamaged. The generator manager was distraught and because the band only had electric guitars, they could only DJ to a shocked wedding party using the distraught wedding couple’s stereo in their house. It was a bizarre night. Thankfully, the Usual Suspects managed to properly perform for James and Sally a year later at their wedding anniversary.
What would I take from this story? Freak accidents happen but work with a really good generator company that uses quality products because without power your wedding isn’t going anywhere. Even a quality fully acoustic act like Acoustic Captain (above) could struggle to perform at a wedding with those kinds of problems.
We all know water and electrics are not the best of friends so when you do host a wedding music band, make sure your band’s performance area has a solid, waterproof floor, walls, and ceiling. It’s a good idea to ensure it’s dry and well-ventilated like the rest of your marquee as moisture and excessive heat are pesky little enemies to musical equipment too.
Watching tipsy guests struggling over the uneven floors of marquees can be quite fun to watch but trying to perform on uneven floors is anything but. Just ask drummers! A nice big stage is ideal otherwise plenty of floor space for your band is great so they can pick the best spot to set up and perform.
Who doesn’t like to be pampered? Marquees don’t always have lots of extra room or actual rooms so make sure your wedding band has somewhere to rest, get changed, and eat the tasty food and drink you provide. The heavens can randomly open up in this country of ours and a live wedding band left out in the cold or shoved into a corner of the marquee isn’t going to be able to perform to their fullest for you. Our guides about feeding bands at weddings and how to get the most out of your wedding band say it so much better so give them a look.
Marquee rental companies can be pretty clued up about live wedding bands. Pick their brains or even better, put them in touch with your wedding band so they can sort all the details out. I’d always recommend sorting this all through email so everything is in writing too.
What do we think of performing in marquees here at Seventh Second? On the whole, we love performing in them. Their construction and material flatten sound waves making us sound far better than we are! Inside, they create a fantastic little party atmosphere and as long as we aren’t perched on the edge of a cliff or on a big slope they are brilliant fun. We highly recommend them and our stellar wedding band Electric Jukebox (above) have enjoyed some memorable weddings in marquees of all shapes and sizes.
There is one thing I must mention before I wrap this guide up. Check with your venue and marquee company about whether you can actually have live music on the land and in the marquee you are looking at hiring. It seems daft to say but we have had couples searching for emergency last-minute wedding venues because of these kinds of issues. Click here for some invaluable advice on marquee licenses. It’s really worth dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s with a marquee wedding.
Maybe you’re planning a late-night wedding rave with the wedding band or DJ performing loud well into the night? I’ve been there pumping out the tunes, it’s great fun, with nothing quite like a bouncing marquee wedding party! However, please check you are allowed to get your rave on and how loud that rave can be as decibel limiters aren’t only confined to wedding venues. Marquees and the land they are on can be subject to some pretty strict sound limitations. You can find out all about this and more in our bumper guide on sound limiters at weddings here.
The Motown Boys above (as well as a good few of our other wedding bands) have performed at marquee weddings only to be shut down at 11 pm. Sometimes venue owners have allowed couples to run some tunes off a small speaker but in all honesty, it almost always kills the wedding party vibe. Sad but true.
I thought it worth mentioning that marquee weddings don’t seem to be affected any more than any other wedding venues by any lingering event restrictions. As long as there are adequate social distancing guidelines in place you should be fine to plan your marquee wedding. Nevertheless, it’s worth speaking to all your suppliers just in case there are any specific rules or regulations that need to be adhered to.
That’s it from me today. I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide and I look forward to hearing about or possibly performing at your marquee wedding! They are brilliant when done properly so plan a little and take my advice into consideration and you will savor your marquee wedding for years to come. It’ll pay off when you take in your beautifully decorated marquee bustling with happy guests chatting, eating, drinking, and dancing the night away.
If you need a great live wedding band for your marquee wedding don’t forget to check out ours here and if you want some more advice or want our wedding experts to help design the perfect live wedding entertainment for you contact us here. We’re available 7 days a week, 10 am to 10 pm via phone, email, text, the usual socials, and live chat. Oh and if you liked what you read please consider sharing it with others.
Thanks!
Matt and the Seventh Second Team
